{Reason 5: Caruana has the edge over Carlsen in recent games, and quite a good
lifetime score to boot! None of his rivals can claim as good a score over a
large number of recent games, except maybe Svidler. This is no doubt due to
his nerves of steel and generally more powerful calculation.} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 {
Carlsen saw what happened to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in that Caro game earlier
and therefore tries to get Black out of book! But Caruana is very well
prepared in the sidelines too...} Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. Bb3 Bb4+ $1 {A
nice move to inconvenience White's deployment.} 6. c3 (6. Bd2 Bxd2+ 7. Nbxd2 {
also leaves White unable to put pressure on that d5-pawn with Nc3, which is
the key way for White to fight for an edge in this line of the Bishop's
Opening.}) 6... Bd6 {White would really like to be able to play Nc3 here!} 7.
Bg5 {Carlsen shows up his main soft spot already - playing Bg5 in the 1.e4 e5
systems.} dxe4 8. dxe4 h6 9. Bh4 Qe7 10. Nbd2 Nbd7 {This is a pretty normal
position, and the sort of quiet manoeuvring struggle where you'd think Carlsen
would be in his element. He recognised that his bishop on h4 isn't doing so
much and tried improving the worst-placed piece, but that only made it worse...
} 11. Bg3 $6 Bc7 12. O-O Nh5 $1 {Why is Caruana exchanging the bad bishop?
Well, Black can take that piece whenever he pleases. Carlsen urges him to take
it right off the bat but weakens his position considerably to do so.} 13. h3 $2
(13. Nh4 Nxg3 14. hxg3 {would be a more solid continuation. Black must be a
bit better because of the bishops, but even after} g6 {to stop Nf5, White's
position is not atrocious.}) 13... Nxg3 14. fxg3 Nc5 $1 {Allowing a sacrifice
on f7, but Caruana has everything worked out as accurately as a machine.} 15.
Bxf7+ {This looks desperate, but what else can White do?} (15. Nh4 Nxb3 16.
axb3 g6 {for instance would be clearly better for Black - White's knights
don't have any good squares, White's pawn structure is full of holes and the
bishops will be quite ferocious once things open up a little.}) 15... Kxf7 16.
Nxe5+ Kg8 17. Ng6 Qg5 18. Rf8+ Kh7 19. Nxh8 {Black is winning here, but he
needs to play like a wizard to prove it. Caruana's up to the task.} Bg4 $1 (
19... Qe3+ 20. Kh1 Bg4 $1 21. Qxg4 Rxf8 22. Ng6 Rf7 {was also very strong,
again because White has problems saving his errant knight, and also his
position is quite passive and exposed.} 23. Nf1 Qg5 24. Nh4 Qxg4 25. hxg4 Nxe4
{and White's irish pawns are an insult to the Irish!}) 20. Qf1 (20. hxg4 Rxf8 {
traps the knight on h8, leaving Black a piece up.}) 20... Nd3 $3 {This might
be the best move of the tournament.} 21. Qxd3 (21. Rxa8 Qe3+ 22. Kh1 Nf2+ 23.
Qxf2 Qxf2 24. hxg4 Qxd2 {is winning for Black despite the momentary material
deficit, as White's pawns are falling off, his king is weak and he has no
harmony between his pieces.}) 21... Rxf8 22. hxg4 Qxg4 {Black settles down to
take the knight and pluck off some weak pawns!} 23. Nf3 Qxg3 (23... Kxh8 24. e5
Qxg3 {transposes.}) 24. e5+ Kxh8 25. e6 Bb6+ 26. Kh1 {Black is winning here,
but he has to again find the best move every move to do it. And again, Caruana
finds the moves that some would call 'machine lines'.} Qg4 $1 {Threatening ...
Qxe6 and ...Qh5.} 27. Qd6 Rd8 28. Qe5 Rd5 $1 {The only way to win, and the
rook lift to h5 is a brilliant conception.} 29. Qb8+ Kh7 30. e7 Qh5+ 31. Nh2 (
31. Qh2 {was the only way to keep playing, but} Qe8 32. g4 {(else ...Rh5 is
fatal)} Qxe7 {leaves White a pawn down with a weak king and inferior minor
piece. In short, a piece of cake for Fabi.}) 31... Rd1+ 32. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 33. Nf1
Qxf1+ 34. Kh2 Qg1+ {For what it's worth, Ian Rogers also annotated this game
for Chess Life and you may want to read his analysis too for all the awesome
music references! Caruana is the world's strongest player today, but time will
tell whether he'll be the world's strongest player in the next
super-tournaments. Well, you know my opinion!} 0-1 [/pgn]